Wild Babka with Almond Butter Filling

EXECUTION TIME 3 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES / 8-10 SERVINGS / DIFFICULTY LEVEL: 4/5

140 ml of water
10 g dry yeast + 1 tbsp. bun flour
1 tbsp coconut sugar
700 g bun flour
200 ml Orange juice
60 g olive oil
3 tbsp Almond Butter
1 & 1/2 banana
1 tbsp machete
1/2 tsp Chios mastic powder
1/2 tsp cardamom
Zest of an orange (wax free)
For the filling:
Almond Butter Crunchy with Cocoa and Date
For the syrup (optional):
100 ml water
50 g Maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the yeast: put the lukewarm water, flour and sugar in a bowl.
Mix, cover and let it activate. It takes about 15 minutes, depending on the room temperature.
Put the banana in pieces, the juice and puree in the food processor.
Pour a part of the flour, spices, zest into the mixer bowl and mix.
Add the mixture with the banana, the activated yeast, the olive oil and mix with the hook.
While the mixer is kneading, add the almond butter and when incorporated, slowly add the rest of the flour.
We continue kneading and we understand that the dough is ready, when our dough is elastic, flexible and does not stick to the hands. If we don’t have a mixer, we knead by hand, it just takes longer.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover it and let it double in size. It takes about 1-1.5 hours. We can put the whole bowl in a bag and tie it.
When it has doubled in size, transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and with a rolling pin, roll out a rectangular sheet.
Put the Crunchy Almond Butter with Cocoa and Dates in the middle and spread it but not over the entire surface, leaving the edges clean.
Roll up carefully.
With a sharp knife, we cut it horizontally in the middle, I turn the dough downwards, so that the filling is on top, and now that we have two pieces, we weave them together.
We close our braid like a wreath and place it in a hoop, ideally with a detachable bottom, on which we have laid non-stick paper.
Cover it and let it rise again.
Bake in a preheated oven, at 180 degrees with air, for about 20-25 minutes.
If we want to make it softer, we can syrup it when it comes out of the oven. If we do this, just before the Babka comes out of the oven, we prepare the syrup: in a saucepan, we bring the water to a boil and add the maple syrup. Stir with a whisk until melted.
As soon as the Babka comes out of the oven, with a brush and a spoon pour the syrup, little by little so that it goes everywhere.
Leave to cool completely and unmold.